– Mita Mukherjee

The Bengal government on Tuesday informed Calcutta High Court that vice-chancellors can decide whether student union elections can be held in universities and affiliated colleges but the institution authorities had not taken any action in this regard.

Student body elections have not been held in most universities and colleges in Bengal since 2013. The high court heard petitions on Tuesday to resume the student polls.

The state told the court that the government had no objection if the universities conduct the polls in their institutions and in their affiliated colleges.

The state government had earlier told the court on July 17 that the government did not want polls to take place because the universities were run by officiating vice-chancellors who are political appointees. The Supreme Court had said that officiating VCs cannot take policy decisions.

The court on Tuesday directed the 365 colleges and 10 universities be made parties to the case.

Sources in the state higher education department said that the state has changed its stance on not having students polls following appointment of two full- term VCs at Rabindra Bharati University and Cooch-behar Panchanan University. The appointment process of other universities is almost complete.

Within April 17 universities had full-term vice-chancellors. But the Supreme Court had to intervene as there were difference of opinion between the state governor and the state government over names suggested by the panel.

The process of appointment of the vice-chancellors is overseen by a panel appointed by the Supreme Court. The committee headed by former chief justice U.U. Lalit interviewed aspiring candidates from August 19 to 21.

The next hearing is scheduled for November 30.

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